The comparisons/similarity between Piedmont and Burgundy are obvious and well known. Many producers are interested in Burgundy. And several have Pinot Noir on the market currently. Other are experimenting with it and not ready to release the wines to the public just yet. So far the wines I have tasted are OK - very good. The flavor seems to be more of Piedmont than PN or Burgundy. Not sure if that is from the winemaker, soil, grape or a combination. It is kind of hard to read how serious the producers are about these efforts. Not sure I ever see the wines being close to Nebbiolo based wines. Was wondering what others think of the efforts and it’s future.
Isn’t the climate too warm for Pinot? Those who are experimenting with this, do they choose cooler sites?
We’ve carried Atillio Ghisolfi’s “Pinay” for several vintages. He planted some in one of his Barolo plots to test the “lens into the soil” hypothesis and the results definitely taste like Piemonte, NOT Burg or Cali Pinot.
I have a couple bottles of this:
2007 Icardi Langhe Pinot Nero Nej, Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC - CellarTracker
which I am still cellaring, but within the notes, while opinions vary, there is near unanimity that this does not taste like ‘other’ pinot noir. & FWIW, given the grape’s reputation for mutation I guess this should not be a surprise, nor even especially discouraging.
A few years ago, I had the Rocche dei Manzoni Pinonero, which is quite a serious wine. I recall it being like a stern Cotes de Nuits.
Some people like Rizzi in Treiso have planted it for their sparkling wines.
It’s somewhat warmer than Burgundy, but substantially cooler than Tuscany.
I’ve found some good success with Pietro Colla’s Poderi Colla Langhe Pinot Nero Campo Romano. The vines are just next to the tasting room, which is equal parts museum, too. (the last one I really enjoyed was the 07)
Another I enjoy is Cavallotto’s Langhe Pinot Nero Bianco di Pinot Nero. The 09 was delicious and a very good food wine.
When I’m in the area, I usually pick up several bottles of each.
My personal perception was that Burgundy had to be a few degrees cooler on average than the Langhe.
But data show that the main difference is in the thermal excursion:
The rainfall distribution over the year is also markedly different (but the total pretty close, about 750mm in Alba, and 730 in Beaune).
Gilberto - Those are interesting stats. I’m surprised to see that Burgundy is actually warmer across the summer and into the harvest season, but I’ve never visited there in the summer.
Having visited both areas in the autumn on a number of occasions, I can testify that Burgundy tends to be much greyer and wetter, as borne out by the stats on number of rainy days.
Personally, I’ll drink the sparkling versions with pleasure, but not so keen on the still.
After talking with producers, I would say they are well aware of the similarities and differences in the rainfall and temps.
G.D. Vajra
I enjoy this wine and have liked the last three vintages but I would not compare it to Burgundy and I would not be able to recognize it as a Piedmont wine if I had to call it blind. Of course, I haven’t had any other white Piedmont Pinot Nero.
And how many white pinot noirs have you had from anywhere?
A pretty rare bird.
Many, from Champagne 
.
Pinot Nero in Bianco is a HUGE commercial item in the Oltrepò Pavese in Lombardia. Many labels, many levels of quality.
It is possible to grow Pinot in Piedmont but it is much warmer than Burgundy. Here are some Charts.
The first shows a bar chart of heat accumulation. Vyd1 is Monforte, Vyd 2 is Burgundy.
The second shows a comparison of high, lows and mean temps.
Well, I was thinking still wines.
But, as the proud owner of some Gouges pinot noir blanc (from mutant pinot vines that produce white grapes), I think I retain my geek credentials in this area.
Just a few of the Pinot Neri in Bianco made in the OP:
I’ve had that several times as well. I also tried some white Pinot Noir from Domaine Serene, which was good, but not worth anywhere near the $80 or whatever they sell it for.